Stackpack and boom

[Ardenfour]

I recently got a stackpack sail cover and am in the process of fitting. Looking at other boats in the yard, some have the boom inside the cover, others below. The cover has lacing eyes along the bottom, so easy to tie around the boom. To attach on top of the boom would need sail slugsd or similar and all the plastic ones I have are too thick to fit into the bloom slot.
Any advice please - above or below? Thanks

 

[Tranona]

Perhaps you should have discussed with the supplier/maker how you wanted to attach it to your boom. If you want it in the groove on the boom, either the groove has to be big enough to take the bolt ropes of both the stack pack and sail or you need a loose footed sail. Otherwise the stack pack has to be attached to the boom some other way, and lacing is one method.

 

[Davegriff]

If you're considering sail slugs, then presumably your sail is loose-footed and the track is available, so you could sew a bolt rope along the centre of the cover or maybe get away with threading the cover and suitable length of rope along the track together but unsewn...

 

[prv]

Perhaps you should have discussed with the supplier/maker how you wanted to attach it to your boom.

He bought it second-hand from me, so there wasn't much discussion to be had . The advert did make the method of attachment clear, as it's a bit unusual.

The stackpack was from Kindred Spirit, acquired by the last-but-one owner. The subsequent owner was a traditionalist who didn't approve of such things, so it came to us among the bundle of old sails and odd canvaswork, and we followed his lead and never used it either.

Anyway, this means it was designed to attach to a wooden boom devoid of grooves, tracks, or fittings along its length. The sail was laced to the boom with marling hitches, and I assume the two sides of the stackpack were attached by short lashings between the eyelets, passing between the boom and the foot of the sail. That's a tight squeeze, so the friction would hold it all in place.

I'm sure arrangements can be made for a modern boom - but is the sail loose-footed or a boltrope in a track?

Pete

 

[GrahamM376]

When I made ours I sewed a bolt rope in the bottom of each side and fitted track either side of the boom - totally independent of the sail.

 

[prv]

When I made ours I sewed a bolt rope in the bottom of each side and fitted track either side of the boom - totally independent of the sail.

The equivalent for this cover would be a series of lacing eyes screwed or riveted to the boom, in positions to match the eyes in the cover.

I think my preference though - assuming a boltrope foot to the sail - would be to sew a panel of thin sailcloth between the two halves, that can slide into the groove around the sail's boltrope. Alternatively, short lengths of tape between the eyelets to fit the same way, but it seems like it would be more fiddly when bending the sail on.

If a loose-footed sail, simply buy and fit the correct sized slugs for the groove.

Pete

 

[Stemar]

On Jissel, the boom slot is too small to take the sail bolt rope and the stack pack, so I converted the main to loose footed by the simple expedient of a webbing loop round the boom and through the outhaul cringle and a beefed up outhaul. It worked fine and I can't see why it wouldn't work on a bigger boat.

 

[Tranona]

When I made ours I sewed a bolt rope in the bottom of each side and fitted track either side of the boom - totally independent of the sail.

That is the method mine uses, with plastic track screwed to the wooden boom. Just stripped it all off as having new one made with a bolt rope and converting the mainsail to loose footed. Others I have seen have a piece of sailcloth joining the two halves which slides into the groove with the sail bolt rope, but that is a tight fit.

 

[Ardenfour]

Thanks all. The sail is loose-footed, I just need a method of attaching the cover. Small slugs would be perfect, but I can't seem to find any small enough to fit the groove. Prv, more than happy with the cover, great fit and love their colour

 

[Ardenfour]

Boat and cover